Flashback Friday: Celebrating Kelly Clarkson / Early 2000s Playlist

Today marks the 32nd birthday of singer Kelly Clarkson, best known as the first winner of American Idol.

Back in 2002, Kelly's success as an artist took off with her Idol win, which sky-rocketed her into a career of Grammy wins and platinum-selling albums as she became an icon in the music industry.

Remember the song A Moment Like This? Or how about Miss Independent, the first single off of her debut album, Thankful? Now you do.

It's not to say that Kelly's later songs weren't good because let's face it, who doesn't feel the raw emotion heard in Because of You or love the attitude Kelly expressed in Since U Been Gone? However, the singer's early hits are part of a long list of songs from the early 2000s that will have anyone growing up in those times going "No way, I used to love that song!" when they hear it or even read the name.

If you've experienced a moment like this (pun intended), then you know what it is like to feel a strong sense of nostalgia as the music brings you back to high school days, middle school days, and bad outfit days.

One of the great things about music is that it can spark memories, whether those memories are about something big or small, very vague or very specific.

And whether it was a one hit wonder or by an artist who you still hear today, these kind of songs were listened to by anyone and everyone, seen on the Now That's What I Call Music CDs, and were also played at school dances.

In celebration of Kelly and the early 2000s, here is a list of some of the songs released that will make you want to open up YouTube and hear them again:

"Swing Swing" by The All-American Rejects
"For You I Will (Confidence)" by Teddy Geiger
"Follow Me" by Uncle Kracker
"The Great Escape" by Boys Like Girls
"Ohio is For Lovers" by Hawthorne Heights
"Get the Party Started" by Pink
"You're Beautiful" by James Blunt
"Where is the Love?" by The Black Eyed Peas
"This Love" by Maroon 5
"Complicated" by Avril Lavigne
"It Wasn't Me" by Shaggy
"Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence
"Are You Gonna Be My Girl?" by Jet
"Lean Back" by Terror Squad feat. Fat Joe
"Stacy's Mom" by Fountains of Wayne
"Who Let the Dogs Out?" by the Baha Men
"Drop It Like It's Hot" by Snoop Dogg feat.

Pharrell
"Never Had a Dream Come True" by S Club 7
"I'm Like a Bird" by Nelly Furtado
"Crazy in Love" by Beyonce feat. Jay Z